


Pen Pals

by scrapmetal



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Edling Week, Edling Week 2019, M/M, Nonbinary Alphonse Elric, if im the only reason this tag exists so be it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2020-05-12 14:22:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19230886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scrapmetal/pseuds/scrapmetal
Summary: Ed gets a letter from Ling. It's kinda gay.Edling Week 2019 day one- Pining





	Pen Pals

**Author's Note:**

> this is short for me but i hope y'all like it :sob: gay rights

“Ed? What are you doing on the roof?” Al wasn't quite expecting to find their brother all the way up there, but it wasn't too abnormal. The roof was a good thinking spot, Al just didn't know Ed had so much to think about that day.

 

“Hmm? Oh, nothing.”

 

“May I… join you?” Al asked, worry sprinkled into their words just a tad. Ed was Ed, and he had a habit of trying to hide his hurt from his brother, which Al wouldn't stand for. 

 

There was a slight pause before Ed answered. “If you want to I guess.” 

 

Was that… embarrassment Al heard in his voice?

 

Al, of course, wasted no time climbing up the house. Inching their way over to their brother, they spotted a folded sheet of paper in his hand.

 

“Oh! Is that the letter you got from Ling? You're still reading it?” 

 

Ed groaned and put his head in his lap, one arm holding out the letter for Al. 

 

“Here-- just get it over with and read it.’

 

Al blinked in surprise, but didn't argue at all. It wasn't like they weren't curious. 

 

_ Dear Edward Elric, _

 

_ It's my 18th birthday today! Finally caught up to you again. I've always found it funny that  _ _ you're _ _ the older one. Anyways, before you refuse to send me a letter back for that consider this: please don't do that? I like reading your letters.  _

 

_ I'm not a child emperor anymore, which is nice. Lan Fan just calls he her lord instead of her young lord. She didn't get me anything else though. Finally being an adult is… something I'm not completely looking forwards to though, it comes with its own problems. Today might be a day filled with celebration, but tomorrow I'm sure the issue of succession will come up. I'm honestly surprised they waited.  _

 

_ Don't worry all too much though! I have excuses already planned! I'm going to say I'm infertile because I'm a homunculus. Greed’s been teasing me CONSTANTLY over this but I'll spare you the specifics of what he's been saying (as if I'm not just trying to protect my own ass from your teasing. Go on. Laugh.) Anyways, it's probably the easiest way to do it. I have to remind them I'm immortal so they don't immediately force me off the throne, but I like to think that it'll make there be less of a demand for heirs if I'm not dying anytime soon. Of course I'll need to demolish the whole system eventually but it'll take a long while. I just have to think short term for now, and doing what my father did won't be fun for…  So so so many reasons. I hate thinking about it.  _

 

_ What I do enjoy thinking about on the side is… What would I do if I didn't have to jump through all these royal hoops? What if I could marry whoever I wanted? It's a nice thought, maybe someday. Whether it's because I change enough to allow it to happen or if I just retire to the countryside… It'd be nice to have a husband. Revolutionary concept, I know.  _

 

_ Sorry this ended up becoming me rambling on about romance and love… I'm sure your eyes rolled out of your head. It's my birthday though, so I'm allowed to just be a little gay.  _

 

_ Sincerely, _

 

_ Emperor Ling Yao _

 

Al hummed a bit in thought after they finished reading the letter. “Well, it's pretty damn gay but I'm pretty sure everyone knows that about him.” 

 

Ed didn't look up. “Flip it over,” he mumbled.

 

Al turned the letter around curiously as instructed, and in the absolute worst handwriting they'd ever seen, they saw for words. 

 

_ LING LOVES YOU.  _

 

_ -GREED _

 

“...I thought he was illiterate,” Al said after fully comprehending what exactly the message meant.

 

Ed sighed. “Apparently he knows enough to send that!”

 

“Really puts the letter into context.”

 

“URGHH I don't know whether or not I should believe it!”

 

“Greed has a thing about lying y'know.”

 

“He could be wrong!”

 

“He literally lives in Ling's head.”

 

Ed snatched the letter from Al and held it in front of him like he was going to rip it. “GRRRAH!! This stupid thing is making me go absolutely fucking ape shit!! I hope Greed knows I hate his fucking GUTS I'm so… GAH!”

 

“I'm assuming you reciprocate his feelings?”

 

Ed blinked and turned to Al. “WHAT?? Where did you get THAT from I…  _ maybe _ … Shut up.”

 

Al nodded solemnly. “We should go to Xing so we can settle this once and for all.”

 

“That's a horrible idea. Shut up. It's only been two years since you got your body back, I think we deserve a break from adventuring, maybe until we're both a few years into being adults, right like adventures should work.”

 

Al sighed. “Yeah, I guess you make a great point that I completely agree with and I was kinda dreading the idea of leaving Resembool but! You  _ have _ to see Ling next time he comes on a political visit to Amestris.”

 

“Like I don't already do that every time, lay off Al.”

 

Al smiled sweetly. “I'm just saying you two should go on a date! I am physically incapable of “laying off,” I signed a contract the moment I was born that as your brother I must never “lie off”. Sorry Ed.”

 

Ed sighed. “Of course Al, of course.”


End file.
